Starter Packs are our best answers to some big questions, and collections of favorite podcast episodes. See them all here.

Starter Pack

Help! I’m stuck with a gigantic medical bill.

Don’t freak out. We’ve created a guide to help you manage.
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Your step-by-step guide
A Success Story
The Negotiating Table

Your step-by-step guide

We’ve compiled a how-to guide of sorts. Our best strategies and advice for tackling a huge medical bill.

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What *not* to do when you get a big medical bill

Pro tip: Don’t pay right away.

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First, see if you can get your medical bill forgiven

An underrated, but essential step to start out with.

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Get an itemized medical bill and fact-check it

You might not owe as much as you think.

A Success Story

Our Engagement Producer—Claire Davenport—helped her roommate wipe away nearly $14,500 of medical bills. Here are the strategies they used.

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How my roommate and I are tackling almost $14,500 in medical bills

Follow Claire’s journey to help her roommate—Margot— pay off her medical bills. In part one, it’s all about getting organized.

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How my roommate and I are tackling almost $14,500 in medical bills, Pt. 2

In part 2, we continue to follow Claire and Margot’s journey to pay off a ginormous medical bill.

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We wiped out almost $10K of my roommate’s medical bills

Spoiler alert: Always read the explanation of benefits (EOB).

The Negotiating Table

Here’s how to negotiate an unfair bill.

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A $229,000 medical bill goes to court

When a hospital sues a former patient, the case goes all the way to the Colorado Supreme Court. Here’s what happened next.

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The Medical Bill “Negotiation Lab”

Negotiating a medical bill sounds scary, and it can be. But what if we got it down to a science?

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How to fight like a bulldog (against bogus medical bills)

Introducing an HR director known for his unique tactics to negotiate medical bills.

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Yes, you can negotiate with bill collectors

It’s all about knowing the right questions to ask.

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More of our reporting

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Podcast Episodes

Our show about why health care costs so freaking much, and what we can (maybe) do about it.
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July 17, 2025

The great American drug shortage isn’t an accident, it’s artificial (from Organized Money)

What's up with drug shortages? From the podcast Organized Money.
July 2, 2025

Robots sing: The Prescription Drug Playbook Song

You just gotta hear this.
June 29, 2025

The Prescription Drug Playbook, Part Two

We bring in experts to share their tricks for getting life-saving meds at an affordable cost.
June 12, 2025

The Prescription Drug Playbook, Part One

One dad’s quest to get his daughter the meds she needs at a better price uncovers a world of online options.
May 21, 2025

Could this mathematician’s formula fix US hospitals?

A mathematician on a mission: save U.S. hospitals from financial ruin, and improve the lives of doctors, nurses, and patients. It's already working.

See the Episode Archive

One of the most enraging, terrifying, depressing parts of American life made entertaining, empowering, and useful.
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First Aid Kit

Our newsletter about surviving the health care system, financially
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July 18, 2025

Why drugs cost so much — and can be hard to even find

Zooming out from our "Prescription Drug Playbook"
July 9, 2025

What’s cooking at An Arm and a Leg

We’re building something we hope you’ll like
July 2, 2025

A local clinic might have a line on affordable meds

Your mileage may vary, but here’s a roadmap.
June 26, 2025

An old school but worthy directory of prescription drug resources

Especially for need-based assistance programs
June 19, 2025

A checklist and a new (to us) tip

Getting your meds for less, part two: order of operations

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Our most useful tools for surviving the health care system, financially.
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